(19)
(11) EP 2 418 622 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
09.05.2012 Bulletin 2012/19

(43) Date of publication A2:
15.02.2012 Bulletin 2012/07

(21) Application number: 11183986.6

(22) Date of filing: 14.03.2008
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC): 
G06T 7/20(2006.01)
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MT NL NO PL PT RO SE SI SK TR

(62) Application number of the earlier application in accordance with Art. 76 EPC:
08718758.9 / 2250624

(71) Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
Kadoma-shi Osaka 571-0051 (JP)

(72) Inventors:
  • Iwasaki, Masahiro
    Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka 540-6207 (JP)
  • Thayananthan, Arasanathan
    Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB2 1PZ (GB)
  • Cipolla, Roberto
    Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB2 1PZ (GB)

(74) Representative: Haley, Stephen 
Gill Jennings & Every LLP The Broadgate Tower 20 Primrose Street
London EC2A 2ES
London EC2A 2ES (GB)

   


(54) Image processing method and image processing apparatus


(57) To provide an image processing apparatus which robustly performs segmentation on an image including an object such as a moving person with its deformation. The image processing apparatus includes: an image inputting unit (101) which receives temporally successive images; a motion analyzing unit (102) which calculates motions of blocks using at least two temporally different images and calculates, based on the motions of the blocks, temporal motion trajectories of the blocks in the temporally successive images; a distance calculating unit (103) which calculates a distance which indicates a similarity of the motions of the blocks, using a temporal motion trajectory of a block i and a temporal motion trajectory of a block other than the block i calculated by the motion analyzing unit; and a nonlinear space processing unit (104) which projects the distance calculated by the distance calculating unit into a nonlinear space and performs the segmentation on a result of the projection in the nonlinear space.







Search report